Police were called to the crash around 6:40 a.m. on Route 1 just south of Kit Kat Road, where investigators said a Freightliner box truck that had been going north on the road rear-ended a Volkswagen that was stopped in a through traffic lane as it was preparing to turn left into a shopping center. Police said the VW then hit a Chrysler that was stopped in front of it waiting to make the same turn.

Officials said the driver of the Volkswagen was taken to Shock Trauma, where she died Wednesday evening. The victim, identified as Rafaella Griffin, 39, of Baltimore, was the only person in the VW.

The truck driver was identified as William Russell III, 56, of Elkridge. Officials said he was transporting equipment for the Synergy Health Company of Elkridge, and he wasn't injured.

The driver of the Chrysler, Michael Thompson, 40, of Clinton, was also uninjured.

Officials said they're still trying to figure out why Griffin and Thompson were trying to make left turns into the shopping center while in a through lane instead of the designated left turn lane meant for the shopping center.

Investigators said they don't believe the freezing rain and ice were a primary cause for the collision since the road wasn't iced over.

Route 1 was closed to through traffic for more than two hours during the cleanup.